Merry Christmas

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM By His Good Grace....

I wish all my family and friends many blessings this year.
Thank you for your friendship.

another 22 worder

The instructor asked, "what do plants need to grow?"
Just as I would, children answer the norm.
My son states, "love."
Sweet.

I found the 22 words challenge so fun/interesting/intriguing/challenging; I had to go for another.

Get Your Brain Hats On!

Above is a photo of a recent project--a brain hat and some of the books I've been using to begin studying the Human Body. We haven't been doing it regularly because our My Father's World curriculum isn't doing that yet. I am enjoying the study of birds they are doing in http://www.mfwbooks.com/ because they go through the state bird as we move from state to state. But, we've been so interested in studying the human body that I wanted to delve in. I got three of these books used, one as a gift and one I bought when my nine year old was just about four years old through a book club. What we've found most beneficial is just using several resources. The Usborne book is amazing, graphically speaking. The Human Body Book (project book) is one of my favs of all time. The boys have greatly enjoyed this.

The kewl thing is, is that Rachezz was involved in a study that is doing research for children with absence seizures. They wanted to test children who don't have it and compare. Well, he had an MRI, so when we got a pic of his brain in the mail...we were able to name all the areas even in just the shaded black and white photo. It was so fun!

Here are the two pages that are consumable/reproducible. The boys loved being able to make this brain hat. You can see it more closely on the bottom photo.

22 WORDS' 22 WORD CHALLENGE

Abraham Piper likes telling kid stories, but now he wants to hear mine [or yours] in 22 words.


When sharing that sins were sacrificially placed on Jesus, my five year old responded with a grievous expression, "did it hurt him?"

Look what's in our stockings!

2008 CHRISTMAS PHOTOS

My cute husband

I had said, "Honey, let me take your picture..."

Well, I guess he heard,

"Honey, tilt your head and open your mouth before you swallow that humongous bite of food because I want to take your picture!"

This is not uncommon although it doesn't always include food...see here...http://byhisgoodgrace.blogspot.com/2008/08/childs-window-mistreatment-nester-style.html

I'm sorry, but isn't it weird that I find him incredibly adorable even when he is so uncooperative? Uh, I hate the power he has over me...you know that even when he's a pain in the butt, I could stop and just

kiss him to pieces.

This photo was supposed to be a post about a homeschool project. To see just what all the fuss was, I've posted it on our homeschool blog:

http://learningbyhisgoodgrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/who-knew-hasty-pudding-would-be-tasty.html

Who knew Hasty Pudding would be Tasty?

It was part of My Father's World curriculum. I thought about skipping it.

Then, the more we read about colonial times, the more I wondered just what people ate during those times. We read how Ben Franklin ate and served sawdust pudding to prove that he could live miserly to complaining inventors who tried to manipulate him into printing what would serve them best in his newspaper. So...we were curious if this type of food was as gross as it sounds.

It was actually quite OK. It tasted like corn bread batter. OK, so you won't find us eating cornbread batter. However, when you think something is going to taste like sawdust, you just may find yourself enjoying cornbread batter.

My husband whipped out the syrup, which actually made the HASTY pudding, TASTY pudding! Hunter ate two bowls, while our friend who had stopped by got to be our guinea pig--he ate three bowls (see our small "bowls" for reference.) I believe he would have licked the bottom of the pan if he could! : )

It has been so interesting studying colonial times. I'm so grateful.

Legos and a Lego Cake...Oh and a nine year old

My baby turned 9 this weekend. Nine. 9. As all mommies say, the time sure has flown. His first day as a nine year old began with Legos. Hmmm...no different than his days as an eight year old, seven year old, six year old and so forth, er back. Opening some pressies and then onto some cupcakes for breakfast!

Yes, that is the Dangerous Book for Boys, book. It's fantastical.

And, that black box...it's a voice chAnger. I know exactly what his nine year old alien voice sounds like as well as his nine year old monster voice. As well, as my six year old's and two year old's monster and alien voice. As well as what my thirty six year old husband's monster and alien voice sounds like. Now multiply that by 1,457 and that is how many times I've heard that wonderful musical charming gadget. Well worth the $5.96 we paid for it. Though, I may be accidentally throwing it in the street where a white minivan may or may not run it over while backing out the driveway. To be honest, I think even the boys got a little tired of it because I haven't heard it in a day. Phew. Hello human voices.

Checking to make sure the frosting matched the lego...two bottles of food coloring worth!
This is not a tutorial. Well, maybe just a little one.
I greased a muffin tin and made the cupcakes for the actual cake without the cupcake holders so that they would be line-less. Then I sliced off the tops
[which you can see unfrosted below.] Then, I smoothed some of the red frosting on both the cake and the cupcakes. I was sure to insert toothpicks into the cake where I would place the cupcakes so they wouldn't slide on top of the cake. I then put the cupcakes upside down on the cake. And, did my best to smooth everything out with the few cake decorating tools I have.

Waaaalllllaaaa...a Lego Cake.

Powder Ranger

Do not think that you can watch the news as your four and two year olds quietly walk in the other room.

My house was so fresh smelling for weeks. But, it took two vacuums and much help from my mom to clean it up. NEVER buy an economy size anything once you have kids! I learned this lesson through not only my Powder Ranger and also the infamous Tums-eating extravaganza on Easter Morning '03.

Tea...no COCOA TIME

Last week, after reading an article from Beth at Pages of Our Life...I decided on a new thing we'd do...I made a tea time with the boys. So, I set up all candles on the table and told them about it--they were surprisingly excited. To make it dirt-like and boyish, like Beth suggested, I'd make them cocoa instead of tea, but they love when we do candles on the table.So, I make a plate of food--cheese and crackers, goldfish, etc. And, their part of the deal is to come in and discuss something they've read and share. So, it's all set up and I'm thinking oooh weee they are going to love it. Hunter sits down and says, "hey, he has more marshmallows than me!"Of course! So, Rachezz asks to go first. He explains this series he's been reading and we go back and forth and I ask lots of questions. My head is spinning cuz I'm thinking how the heck does this kid read this much and keep all these details in his brain. He was showing me maps and giving a history on the series and everything. Finally, he finishes.Suddenly, Hunter lifts up a stop watch and clicks it and says "twenty-one minutes and twenty seconds, boy, you talked for a long time." Hunter then told us why he liked Dr. Seuss and read one page of it. Done. Slurpppppp
Oh my gosh, I know they enjoyed this time. I loved it more.
We did of course, have to do this during JC's nap time. Hopefully, soon, he'll be able to join us.
As for now, "deep discussions" are random with this little bundle of energy and noise!

At their desks and drawing with...popcorn?

The boys are using "I Can Do All Things" for learning to draw. So, I made some fresh popcorn and let them snack while they penciled away. Today, they went for a trial at a local art place and did a wonderful job on some Van Gogh-like paintings which I'll post soon.

Here is a copy sheet for the boys' Bible notebooks--these pages contains scriptures that they can memorize. JC wants to do everything his big brothers do, so he gets a copy as well. He just calls it, "yellow." Yellow means...well, it's his favorite color and I think he calls every color yellow, though he can pick it out.

At the Pumpkin Town

Last week, a large group of homeschoolers--probably about 85-90 children met for two hours at a place where they have a pumpkin town set-up. It was really quite nice. The boys dressed in costumes. We were able to make in time for the giant pumpkin moonbounce, for them to go through the hay maze and get lots of sweets from the "trick or treat" time. We had some fantastic fresh cider as well. It really was a little village setting!

Once in a while, I found myself thinking these things were going to start moving.
Aw, JC wants to make sure the pumpkin baby is OK.

In this gazebo, was an amazing thing, Pumpkin President George Bush and first lady Laura met with former Pumpkin President Clinton and first lady, Hillary. I simply had to capture that historical time in my boys' lives.



One final pic...

I have to say, this is one of the many benefits of homeschooling. Finish work by noon and head to an event like this and be home in time to make dinner!

Pacifier Protest

We have been gradually weaning our young two year old off the pacifier. Especially since he now yells for it, forgets to annuniciate the "P" and then leaves off the "ifier." Yeah, that's a great one in public! So, yesterday, I asked him to take it out and place it on the back of his seat.

He did, begrudgingly. And he held his grudge, long enough for me to take this photo...

and moments later, this one...

And, this even feistier one.

Surely he was thinking..."NO FAIR!"

And then...


"Oh hello, pointer finger...dah doo dah dah doo dah"

Language Arts and Copywork

I have often been asked how we school or plan to school our boys, who differ in ages and stages. Bible, History, Science and some other things are taught together--with my third grader having more expected of him in these areas. Language Arts is something taught completely separate. Though, they often want to know about what the other is doing. For my third grader, we use Primary Language Lessons. Below is an example of what was expected of him today. Some days, I have him only write the word that would fill in the blanks. Today, I asked him to write the sentences out. Still need to double-check his work. He does a lot of this work independently--with my supervision being that I will proofread and correct where necessary.

My first grader uses First Language Lessons which includes lots of help from Mom!

I have made a deal with him that on most days, he will only need to write out two words each day until Christmas and we will slowly build. I've heard/read/listened to many opinions about this, and I am quite comfortable with this. Rather have him enjoy and learn, than learn to hate it. Today, I thought this poem was quite fitting and taught us both a good lesson--so we memorized it and both wrote it out. He complained after writing the first two lines and I said, "Hey, look, you've already written one fourth of the poem--like how there are fours quarters in a dollar, only three more to go, that's great!" (Cool, math is all set for the day--Just Kidding!) Then, I whipped out the camera and took a picture as he got further and he quickly 'worked while he was working' and asked me to photograph the completed page.

He asked me to write it for him as well, so I obliged.



JC, well he loves to "do stickers." So, he "did stickers."
He said "BAT."
That's a two year old's Language Arts.
Prior to this lesson, Hunter was reading this Nursery Rhyme book with him.
He loves when his older brothers read to him.

Painting Pumpkins and Spin Art

We enjoyed a Children's Night at our church last week. What a fun time.

We also stole an idea from Sara's Art House--the kids loved this. Ours came out a little different...but that's OK.

Oh yes, that white blob in the middle down there...is actually one of the girls' sweater which was on the back of a chair, but my baby decided to turn it into a football and threw it right on a big blob of paint and got it all colorful! So, I had to wash and add some soap and leave it for her mommy in a plastic baggy to take home to wash and try to get the paint out!

Of course, my son actually make's a pumpkin with directions for carving RIGHT on the pumpkin! Yes, it says where to carve with arrows and everything. Wonder where he gets that from?

Hebrew Writing Scroll

Here is what the scroll will end up looking like. You take two pieces of paper--and squoosh (squish, squash) them all up over and over, lay them flat out and do it again. Then...

...use a cheat sheet like the above and write a phrase, in Hebrew and English--unless you can read Hebrew of course, then you don't need the translation.

I bought this book from the CHAP homeschool convention. I couldn't believe the price! They had two such books and both contain amazing projects for kids. I actually planned this for our Wed night children's ministries last week--but since I planned it, it still counts for our homeschool, right?

Look right up there and you will see the scroll...and below is what it looks like opened:

It's pretty neat that when you wrinkle the paper over and over, it really takes on a neat texture.

Especially the construction paper (orange.)